Council Loves The Bridge Company Now

So many people falsely believe still that the City of Windsor is opposed to the the Ambassador Bridge Enhancement Project. While that may have been the case once, that certainly does not seem to be the City's position today.

It is merely a failure to communicate!

In fact, the two parties are so close to total agreement that I think I can suggest a way that the Bridge Co. and the City can "Do the Deal!" as CIBPA would advocate over the only outstanding major City concern.

I wish that the Mayor would only call me when he needs a solution to a problem. That was my big strength when I was acting as a lawyer. I could solve difficult problems quite often for my clients quickly and easily.

Seriously, CIBPA is right. With good-will on all sides, the border file is a snap to resolve. Perhaps there is movement now. Consider the following and the easy answer!

What a change in attitude!

Even Members of Council are becoming nicer to the Bridge Company these days. Why take a look at Councillor MOM’s BLOG. The Bridge is located in her Ward:

• “Take a look at this email below sent to me from a resident.
  
  FYI ANYONE who sides with the bridge CO..concerning the west end is NOT working for the WEST END RESIDENTS... JUST AS SIMPLE AS THAT ...TALK ABOUT OFFENSIVE !!!!
  
  Message here – don’t vote opposite your ward mate when it comes to the Ambassador Bridge…! I am not in any fight with Councillor Jones. I actually am perplexed as to why someone thinks I am. We actually agree on most issues on the Ward. We simply have a different view of the Bridge Company properties. It is normal for partners within a Ward to have different opinions and views - it's healthy and part of our jobs to express our views. In fact when it comes to the Bridge Company the Ward Councillors disagreements are reflective of the community - some people agree with the homes being torn down, some don't. Besides I would love to know what has the Bridge Company done in the past to cause such distain? I don't understand why simpy talking with them is such a bad thing to some people or considered offensive. “


• “What is wrong with me meeting with the Bridge Company? Nothing! I have since met with a representative from their company a few times to openly discuss a greening plan for Indian, Edison, Felix, Mill and community gardens along Bloomfield…
  
  Meeting with the Ambassador Bridge Company to bring together a community plan that goes beyond Indian Road, encompassing all of the properties they own does not make me unfriendly to Sandwich!”

Our Mayor now seems to have miniscule issues with the Bridge Co. that I think can be easily solved! Perhaps because he has sold off Brighton Beach to the Feds, he does not care any more. If the Enhancement Project was going forward, then I am sure his fear was that there was no need for Brighton Beach since there would not be a need for a DRIC Bridge.

So stall off the Bridge Co., delay them, cost them huge amounts of money due to lost time, it did not matter as long as Eddie could sell the City’s land.

Heck, he did not need to do that and put everyone through the misery. He could have sold all of it to the Province for a jail instead!

My recollection of what he said at the CIBPA meeting included:

•  City of Windsor has “no jurisdiction” over the Ambassador Bridge proposal since it comes under the jurisdiction of Transport Canada and the Federal Government.


•  in 2006 the City of Windsor worked with the Ambassador Bridge to build new booths.


•  He wants to clear up whether the City of Windsor is against or doesn’t want the Ambassador Bridge proposal – “it is not our issue”.


•  His big concern was making sure in effect that Americans coming over the Bridge could find their way downtown.

He said in the Star:

• “One issue we would raise is that in order to build another span, the Ambassador Bridge would have to expand the plaza, and to do that they would have to close down Huron Church Road, which is the only access to downtown.”

He also said:

• “Francis said the city does not oppose the twinning of the Ambassador Bridge, which must win federal approval on both sides of the border, only that the company must assure councillors their concerns will be properly handled.
  
  "What the city wants is to ensure that the Ambassador Bridge addresses all the issues that you and I would be subject to," Francis said.
  
  "There are going to be impacts so we want to minimize those impacts."

Issues now deal with mitigation, not opposition. Here it is shown very clearly

On CBC, John Corrent said to Eddie:

• “Last night you said that you didn't want to hold back the Ambassador Bridge. You would welcome the Ambassador Bridge for its construction.

The Mayor responded by saying:

• “As it relates to the Ambassador Bridge, let me tell you why the City of Windsor is making comments. The Ambassador Bridge expansion requires the closure of Huron Church Road to the river. We believe it's important for the Coast Guard to ask the Ambassador Bridge how they are going to re-establish that connection to our downtown once their expansion takes place.”

I have the answer. If that is the Mayor's only concern that prevents him from endorsing the Enhancement Project 100%, I can solve the border issue right now with the Ambassador Bridge and it will NOT take millions of dollars, Foreign consultants and lawsuits.

Eddie forgot about College Avenue!

Here is what can be done for Americans who come off of the Bridge and want to find their way to our exciting Downtown without getting lost. Here is how to re-establish the connection to Downtown.

PUT UP THIS ROAD SIGN AT COLLEGE:

There, that was easy wasn't it!

Whew, problem solved.